Nasal douche



July 22 1924.

W. P. SPRAG UE NASAL DOUCHE Filed Dec. 19, 1922 A TTORNEYS.

Patented July 22, 1924.

UNITED 'STArEfs,

WILLIAM P. srnAenn, or SAN ansnmvro, CALIFORNZEAWH;

r NASAL DQUOHE. I

Application filed December 19, 1922. ,seiiei 1%. 667,825;

T 0 all/whom it may cancer/0i V .Be it known that I, a clt zen of the United States, and, a; r sident of San Anselmo, county of Marin, and State Of California have inventeda new and useful Nasal Douche, of which: the following is a specification. I .My invention relates in generalto anapparatus for treating; abnormal conditions -:of the naval cavity ,and other related anterior and posterior parts of the nasalpassages ,The invention possessesunany desirable features which are concerned not only ywith the valuable results realized by use of the $ame but alsoin the convenience ofmanipula tion, simplicity in construction -andother more or less mechanical ,cliaracteristics. Thesefeatureswill clearly. appear as the description proceeds with reference tQ the preferred embodiment of the invention asillustrated in the. accompanying drawingyand in which Figure 1 is; a. perspective view illustr'ating the use of the douche; and Figure 2 is a viewin vertical section fgof the major parts ofthedevice. I p U Referring nowto the drawing in detail, I have discovered that diseases 'of; the [nasal passages can be treated to the best advantage by a douche when the medicatedliquid supjply used is controlledjor localized, fso to speak, so as to avoid the possibilitiesof directing or otherwise supplying the liquid to the Eustachian tubes or any partswhich .qwould likelybe impaired when subjected to the harsh action of the liquid withjjwhich they are not intended to comein contact.

In practicing the treatment, I have elected to adopt an apparatus including a medicated liquidsupply located at a lower plane than thepatients. nasal orifices and wh'ich icai n'not gravitate into the nasal cavity, with a communication between the same, and o'n'e' nostril of the patients nose and means compilinicating with the other nostril of: the pa- -tientsnose torcreating apartial vaciufun' in the nasal cavity andin a receptacle i gennection with said meanstor drawing if gintity o:E..the medicated liquid supplyaipfinto one nostril through the. nasal cavity and discharging it from the other nostril into said receptacle wherein the, partial vacuum has been created. By; this method. no liquid can enter the nose.until a vacuumis produced inthe nasal cavity, whichditferentiates it from nasal douches hitherto invented. It

eliminate the ever; present dang r t the flil'cldlefl e ndmastoid region {that fobtains from the employment-bf dou clies that operare under di ct pressure, ,an d' tho'se where the'l quid .fiow's into one nostrilfiinder the-influence of gravity: alone. .By a method negative pressure is first produced in the nasal pavity. and in. the above mentioned receptacleso that the stream takes thepath ofthe least resistance through thenasal "cavi'ty ,linder the suction force andffiows into the. Trceptaclefas stated above. Unlikeother doufclies, at, the veryhbeginningio f the operation,' and throughout, the wholetreatment, the stream is drawn ,away from the Eusta chianl tubes) sucking -infeictious 1 material from. their prifices; thereby preventing serious, infeQfiiQ i and often relieving the patient from catarrhal]. deafness. In; fthisfway. th liquid .is maintained undenabsolufte control, and-it does not reach those parts that should not feel i tfs eontact, ;The vacuuinin the nasal cavity a nd'fsaid means in CQIlIllClrlOll with the drawin' "force exert strong influence in drawing infectious 2 secretions from "the nasal sinuses and discharging them with the liquid through the nostril as, previously mentioned.

So faras concerns the'characteristic elements, of the apparatus for carrying out the treatment, I would prefer to use a pair of re ceptacles such foii instance, as the glass bottles 'A'jand vB. The same may besupported en a suitablefbas t like G 1 j olive' ience. f 'ThejreceptaclerAlprovidesthe inedicated liquid supply, and the 'neckofthe biottle may be closed by rubber or the like plug D, the samehaving a port or other opening E, thereinlwitlifthe effected port area of the same controlled by a manually manipulated "stopper R F, Proj ecting through the stopper 1). and terminating just above the bottom :of

the bottle is a glass or the like tube' G. The upper end of the tube terminates in 'anfend made to be connected to amore orless flexible tubing I which carries a nozzle like 'headJ onits end. 'lheother receptacle or bottle B 1 is likewise made with the stopper D and also-equipped with 'a' glass or the like tube G whichftelfminates short otjthebbtetoinof the bottle as in thecase of the tube G, and protrudes through the stopper D" to receive the 's'amekindof a tube 1 as the tube Land a'lso incl'uding a nozzle-like head J. The jstopper' D" is further provided With an opening E into the bottle B with a connection K connecting the bottle with the tubing L' which carries the hollow, elastic bulb M on the end thereof.

In use a supply of medicated liquid is poured into the bottle A andthe stoppers D, D and F are fitted tightly into their respective places. Then the bulb M is compressed preferably by the elbow or arm as shown in Figure 1 so as-to leave the hands of the patient free when the treatment is self administered. This exhausts the air from bulb M. The nozzle like heads J and J are then fitted to their respective nostrils and the patient breathes throughhis mouth and he then releases thebulb M'from pressure and has free use of his handsand arms; Now the soft palate rises up in the pharynx and closes the nasal cavity from behind against the entrance of air through the mouth and, when all connections with the apparatus are tight, the elastic bulb M being released from pressure, expands slightly,

sufficient to create a partial vacuum in bottle B, and the nasal cavity, and the patient feels the effect of suction 1n the nose. Then, as

v he-loosens stopper F to permit the entrance eration.

of air above the surface of the liquid inbottle A', the elastic bulb M again expands and, with the aid of the air pressure upon the surface of the liquid in bottle A and the partial vacuum in bottle B and nasal cavity, and the resilience of the bulb M, the liquid flows upward out of bottle A into the nostril connected with the nozzle-like head J, where it passes through the nasal cavity and is discharged through the nostril communicating ;witlig-the nozzle-like head J into the bottle y If desired, after the liquid has been run through as described, the stopper F may be left out of or loose in its-port E and, by compressing the bulb M, the liquid may be caused to .fiow back from bottle B through the nose into bottle A and, by alternate relaxation and compression, the liquid can be sent back and forth in either direction as may seem expedient. In other words, the douche can be operated without manipulating the stopper in its port, which is done for convenience and for regulating the rapidity or volume of the stream and the degree and duration of suction during the op- The douche will operate without the stopper F but its use has advantages above cited, When the stopper F is not called into requisition the air bulb M expands the instant it is relieved from pressure,,continuing so to expand until it is completely extended. Instead of manipu lating the stopper F in its port E the end of a finger may be used or any means employed for regulating the amount of air pressure desired for operation. When the physician operates the douche for his patient he may control the air bulb M entirely with his hand 'COIISQQUBIICBS.

tion only. This serves to drain the nasal cavity of any remaining liquid, thereby obviating the desire to blow the nose violently and forcing liquid and infectious substances into the Eustachian tubes, often with serious It is, of course, appreciated that different structural features may enter into the device, such for instance as instead of using the bottle B, the bulb M could be directlyconnected to the nozzle head J to take the place of the bottle B, and other changes in detail may also be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, as pointed out in the subjoined claims.

I claim: 5

1. A nasal douche comprising a pair 0 receptacles, means adapted to be fitted in the nostrils of the nose so as to place the receptacles in open communication witheach other, and means manually actuated for causing liquid in one of said receptacles to flow therefrom into one nostril, through the nose and out from the other nostril into the other ofsaid receptacles and for periodically controlling said means to cause evacuation of one receptacle and a filling of the other of said receptacles and a continuous cycling of the liquid through both nostrils, first in one direction and then another.

2. A nasal douche comprising a pair of normally sealed receptacles, means adapted to fit in the nostrils of the nose so as to place said receptacles in communication with each other, and means for causing a regulated flow of liquid to pass by induced pressure from one receptacle to the other of said receptacles and to return from the latter to the former by-induced pressure.

3. A nasal douche comprising means embodying a battery of reservoirs successively operable from a point beneath the nose "of patient to cause an evacuation of medicated liquid from one reservoir to flow upward into one nostril, through the nose and out of the other nostril and into the other reservoir, and vice-versa, and embodying means adapted to be. fitted in the respective nostrils of the nose and means'for contr01- ling conditions. of the respective reservoirs to pneumatically permit said reservoirs to function as aforesaid.

4. A nasal douche comprising means embodying a battery of reservoirs successively operable from a point beneath the nose of,

into one nostril, through the nose and out of the other nostril and into the other reservoir, and vice-versa, and embodying means adapted to be fitted in the respective nostrils of the nose and means for controlling conditions of the respective reservoirs to pneumatically permit said reservoirs to function as aforesaid and means for venting the reservoirs to the atmosphere.

5. In a nasal douche a pair of receptacles with open communication with each other through a patients nasal cavity from one nostril to the other with means in connection with one receptacle for initiating a flow of liquid upwardly from the other receptacle into one nostril and drawing it through the nasal cavity and discharging it through the other nostril into the first named receptacle, and of sending the liquid back through the same passage by which it came through the nasal cavity into the receptacle which first contained it, and means for regulating the volume of liquid within the nasal cavity.

6. In a nasal douche of the class described, a pair of receptacles, a separate connection between each receptacle and a patients nostril for putting the receptacles into a reoiprocative operating communication, and an independent suction apparatus inv connection with one of the receptacles.

7 In a nasal douche a pair of receptacles, a tube extending upward from each receptacle connecting with a patients nostril, an open communication between said receptacles through the nasal cavity, and a means of sending a liquid supply through the nose from either receptacle to the other.

8. In a nasal douche, a container for holding a liquid supply, a tube extending downwardly from the upper part of said container into its interior, a nozzle upon said container with its bore in operative communication with said tube and adapted to fit into a nostril of a patients nose, an air port arranged to be above the upper surface of said liquid supply; another container with a tube extending downwardly from its upper part into its interior, with a nozzle upon said second named container with its bore inoperative communication with said tube and adapted to fit into. the other nostril of a patients nose, and a hollow, elastic bulb in connection with the last named container, with ,means of starting a flow of liquid upwardly out from said first named container into a nostril of a patients nose and of drawing it thence through the nasal cavity into the said second container, and means of preventing and of controlling atmospheric pressure upon the upper surface of the liquid in said first named container.

9. In a nasal douche, a container for holding a liquid supply, a tube extendin downwardly from the upper part of said container into its interior, a nozzle upon said container with its bore in operative communication with said tube and adapted to fit into a nostril of a patients nose, an air port arranged to be above the upper surface of said liquid supply; another container with a tube extending downwardly from its upper part into its interior, with a nozzle upon said second named container withitsfbore in operative communication with said tube and adapted to fit into the other nostril of a patients nose, and a hollow, elastic bulb in connection with the last named container, with means of starting a flow of liquid upwardly out from said first named container into a nostril of a patients nose and of drawing it thence through the nasal cavity into the said second named container, and means of returning the liquid from the said second named container through the nasal cavity into the said first named container.

10. In a nasal douche of the class described, a pair of receptacles, a separate communication in each receptacle for connecting with a nostril of a patients nose, a

hollow, elastic bulb connected to one of the receptacles and a manually manipulated stopper controlled opening in the other receptacle.

WILLIAM P. SPRAGUE. 

